Bookholder



Jul 27, 19484 4 F. SEIDEL 2,445,864

BOOKHOLDER Filed NOV. 8, 1946 INVENTOR. fP/i/V/C $054..

"4.. BY 2? W Patented July 27, 1948 UNITED STATES M E T OFFICE BOOKHOLDER Frank Seidel, Detroit, Mich. I Application November 8, 1946, Serial o. 708,509

invention provides a holde r fthat. supports the book inv closed position against a vertical} wall.

The holder embodies 'a pair of lazy-tongs by' means of which it is extensible to bring. the" book to'a horizontalpositi on when it is to be opened.

More particularly, the device comprises a suitable back plate adapted for attachment to a wall and having, two sets of laz y-tongs attached;

thereto and extensible therefrom. A pair of book supporting plates are pivotally attached. respec tively near, the stationary and movab le endsef the; lazytongs and are joined by an intermediate hinge structure. Thus whenthe: lazy-tongs are expanded, the plates come to a nearly horizontal; position, with the-book sup-ported thereon. When the; lazy-tongs; are com-pressed. the. hinge between the. plates drops. to a nearly vertical position; holding the closed book between; them, withboth the book and the supporting structure in a compacteondition against the wall.

The hinge connection between thewb'ookt sup-' porting plates isexpansi-ble to accommodate various thicknesses of books. Certain of? the pivotal points of the-lazy-tongs are joined by articulated" linkagemthatwprevents. collapsing cf'the tongs. This linkage is also adjustable to conform with the: adjustment of the hinge structure.

The invention is fully disclosed by way of'example in thefoll'owing description and in the accompanying drawings in which:

ure l: is a side View of' the device closed position of. Figur 1; t

Figure 2 is: a front elevation on the lineZ -Z" Figure 3 is. a side view of the device i-nexpandecl or open position;

ure 3;

Figure l is a section ontheline 4- of Fig r Claims. (01. 45-85) flanged at; it away from the wall and slottedven v i 2 p t Figure 5 is a detail plan view, partly broken: away, on the line 5-5101? Figure 3; l Figure" 6i is; a. section.- cn the linefi-G: of Fig:- ure'3;and V r Figure Z is a section: on the line 1-4; of ure 5.

Reference to: these views. will: now be inadeuse of like characters which are employeditd designate corresponding parts: throughout.v

In Figures 1 and}; is; shown a back plate I adapted-to be secured toaverticalv wall A by The area ofv the plate against the wall is somewhat in excess: or: the

suitable fastenings 2;

cover area oi the book to be supported. The lower portionsof the vertical edgesof the plate F are.

tically at 'll tor a purpose that will presently; be described.

5 in Figuresv land 3. Beneaththe flange 5, near each end thereof, is welded a clip ii extending perpendicular to the plate I and formed-with lugs i and 8 at its respective. ends A book cover plate 9' is supported} from the: lugs a loy means of hinge members 10: fastened to one edge of the plate and pivotally attachedtothe lugs by suitable pins. IL Hinges l2 are attached, to the edge; of the: plate 9 parallel to and more remote from the back plate I and carry a relatively narrow book. end. or binding plate l3 as shown more clearly in Figure '1. The member I3 is slottedtransversely at. M- and beneathuiti is mounteda complementary but wider book end or binding plate 15.. formed with transverses-lots L6 registering with the slot- 14. The plates l3 and I5 are fastened together by bolts H passed through the alined slots and tightened by nuts. we Another cover plate I9 is attached to-the:mem-v ber I5 by meansot hinges 20, the plate |-3being notched at 21' to. accommodate these hinges. The

binding. of. the book lies against the plate l3, and it is evident that the plate [5' may be adjustedjlaterally and relatively to the plate 13 to accommodate various thicknesses of books.

Lazy-tongs comprising crossed levers-22,, 23- aremounted. atthe lateral. edges of the plates 9, l9

and? supported at oneend from the; back. plate I",v

Atone end of each set of lazy-tongs, the upper end of. the lever- .22 is pivotally attached .to the V correspondingfl'ug 1 b a pin or rivet. 241'; The;

The upper horizontal edge: is also: flanged horizontally as indicated by the numeral free or lower end of the adjacent lever 23 is mounted in the slot 4 of the corresponding flange 3 by a rivet 25. The lugs 8 lie inward of the lugs 1, as shown in' Figure 4, to bring the plates 9, l9 between the lazy-tongs.

Links 26 are connected to opposed upper pivotal points of the respective lazy-tongs and extend toward the free ends of the tongs, as shown in Figures 3 and 5. The links are held by elongated rivets 21 at the said pivotal points and are spaced outwardly from the tongs by collars 28. These links are overlapped by similar links 29 attached respectively to the upper ends of the outermost levers 23. The lower edges of the links 26 are recessed at 30 to receive stops 3 I on the lower ends of the links 29, whereby to prevent upward coupling. The overlapped links are pivotally at- The apertures 33 are above the center line of the upper pivotal connections of the lazy-tongs links,

and by reason of the attachment 32, the collapse 5 of the lazy-tongs under the weight of the book is prevented. The combined length of the links 26, 29 is adjusted at the apertures 33 and held in such adjustment by the pin 32, to compensate for the lateral adjustment of the plates I3, 15 for various thicknesses of books, The links 29 are preferably comprised in a continuous U-shaped strap having a back 29 as shown in Figure 2. A handle 34 is fastened centrall to the back 29' for expanding and contracting the device.

Angular clips or lugs 35 are fastened near the free or forward edge of the plate IQ for suspendingthe plate from rivets 36 on the upper ends of the foremost levers 23.

A' book Bis shown supported in open condition on the plates 9 and ill in Figure 3. The binding of the books, as already stated, lies at the plates [3, l5. When the book is to be closed, the device is collapsed t0 the position shown in Figure l'by pushing inward and upward on the handle 34. The links 26, 29 buckle downward, and their pivotal connections 32 also drop. The dropping of the lower pivotal connections of the levers 22, 23 is permitted by the sliding of the rivets 25 in the slots 4. The device is brought to open position by pulling outwardly on the handle 34, as a result of which the plates 9, l9 take a nearly horizontal position and the book can be opened thereon to the desired page. The compactness of the device when not in use is illustrated in Figure 1 wherein the entire space occupied thereby is only slightly larger than the volume of the closed book.

Although a specific embodiment of the invention has been illustrated and described, it will be understood that various alterations in the details of construction may be made without departing from the scope of the invention 'as indicated by the appended claims.

What I claim is: I 1. A book holder comprising aback member adapted for attachment to a wall, two sets of. lazy-tongs having one end connected thereto and extensible therefrom, a pair of plates supported between and respectively at the upperends of said lazy-tongs, said plates being hinged to each other between said ends. i

*2. A book holder comprising a back member adapted for attachment to a wall, two sets of lazytongs having one end connected thereto and extensible therefrom, a pair of plates supported between and respectively at the upper ends of said lazy-tongs, and an extensible hinge joining said plates between said ends. 7

3. A book holder comprising a back member adapted for attachment to a wall, two sets of lazy-tongs having one end connected thereto and extensible therefrom, a pair of plates supported between and respectively at the upper ends of said lazy-tongs, said plates being hinged to each other between said ends, and linkage joining two of the pivotal points of said lazy-tongs, whereby to limit the expansion of said lazy-tongs.

4. A book holder comprising a back member adapted for attachment to a wall, two sets of lazytongs having one end connected thereto and extensible'therefrom, a pairof plates supported between and respectively at the upper ends of said lazy-tongs, and an extensible hinge joining said plates between said ends, and linearly adjustable linkage joining two of the pivotal points of said lazy-tongs, whereby to limit the expansion of said lazy-tongs.

, supported between and respectively at the upper ends of said lazy-tongs, said plates being hinged to each other between said ends.

6. A book holder comprising a back member adapted for attachment to a wall, two sets of lazytongs having an'upper end pivotally attached to.

said member and extensible therefrom, slotted flanges on said memberbelow said ends, a lower end of each of said lazy-tongs being slidably mounted in each of said flanges, a pair of plates supported between andrespectively at the upper ends of said lazy-tongs, and an extensible hinge joining said plates between said ends.

'7. A book holder comprising aback member adapted for attachment to a wall,'two sets of lazy-tongs having an upper end pivotally at tached to said member and extensible therefrom, slotted flanges on said member below said ends, a lower end of each of said lazy-tongs being slid ably mounted in each of said flanges, a pair of plates supported between and respectively at the upper ends of said lazy-tongs, and an extensible hinge joining said plates'between said ends, and linearly adjustable linkage joining two of the pivotal points of said lazy-t-ongs,-whereby to prevent the collapse of said lazy-tongs.

8. A book holder comprising a back member adapted for attachment' to-a wall, two sets of lazy-tongs having one end connected thereto and extensible therefrom, a pair of plates supported between and respectively at the upper ends of said lazy-tongs, said plates being hinged to each other between said ends, and articulated linkage joining two of the pivotal points of said lazytongs, whereby to prevent the collapse of said lazy-tongs.

9. A book holder comprising a back member adapted for attachmentto a wall, two. sets of lazy-tongs having one end connected thereto and extensible therefrom, a pair of plates supported. between and respectively at the upper ends of said lazy-tongs, and an extensible hinge joining said plates between saidends'and linearly advent the collapse of said lazy-tongs.

10. A book holder comprising a back member 7 6 adapted for attachment to a wall, two sets of lazytongs having an upper end pivotally attached to REFERENCES CITED said member and extensible therefrom, slotted The following references are of record in the flanges on said member below said ends, a, lower file of this patent: end of each of said lazy-tongs being sli'dably 5 a mounted in each of said flanges, a pair of plates UNITED STATES PATENTJD supported between and respectively at the upper Number Name Date ends of said lazy-tongs, and an extensible hinge 7 Cary Mar. 1, 1892 joining said plates between said ends, and lin- 590,983 eTman Oct. 5, 1897 early adjustable articulated linkage joining two 10 1,161,079 $0 k Nov. 23, 1915 of the pivotal points of said lazy-tongs, whereby 2,118,337 Blanchard y 24, 1938 to prevent the collapse of said lazy-tongs.

FRANK SEIDEL. 

